ABSTRACT The Pilot Project Program is an integral part of the EDGE Center, providing initial support for investigators to establish novel lines of research relevant to the missions of the NIEHS and the EDGE Center. The program promotes exploration of possible innovative directions representing a significant departure from on-going funded research for investigators in environmental health sciences. Investigators from other areas of focus are also encouraged to apply their expertise to environmental health research. The pilot project grants are designed to assist investigators in obtaining preliminary data that will be useful for competitive, full-scale grant applications in the area of gene-environment interaction (GxE). The Center especially encourages applications that focus on the role of human genetic and epigenetic variation as modifiers of environmentally induced diseases. These grants may also focus on research-based GxE outreach activities, or the ethical, legal and social issues surrounding GxE research. The EDGE Pilot Projects Program serves as a great tool to foster new and interesting hypotheses that aim to fill gaps in EHS research, especially in relation to environmental exposures, mechanistic toxicology and gene-environment interactions. The Center is committed to providing invaluable support in launching the careers of a number of promising young scientists through the Pilot Projects Program. Therefore, the program will favor the applications of junior EHS faculty members and utilize this program to augment their Career Development. This program has and will continue to be imperative to the interconnectedness and success of the Center as a whole.